


Nothing Left

by la_ermitana



Category: Queen of the South (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 00:30:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19262305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_ermitana/pseuds/la_ermitana
Summary: Teresa and James finally come face to face with what has been keeping them apart.





	Nothing Left

**Author's Note:**

> Just felt the need to spit something out to fill the s4 jeresa void we are having. Hope you enjoy. Warning, it’s a little intense. Thanks @fennethianell and @queenstephaniaa for your encouragement and ideas. Tumblr @la-ermitana

As Teresa opened the trunk of her car to see if there was a spare tire she hears something off in the forest. She had just pulled over to the side of the road after she got a flat. The roads were empty. She just needed to get away from her life for a little, a day off for herself. She had just closed a new deal that was very stressful but worth every penny. But a flat was exactly what she didn’t need. As she ran her fingers through her hair she looked down at her phone again to see if reception was back. It was not. As she sighed she heard leaves crunch again. She slowly walked to the passenger side of her car and took the gun out of the glove box. As she cocked the gun and slowly made her way into the bushes she turned around to someone behind her! She aimed the gun!

“Hey it’s me, it’s me!” James shouted with his hands up. 

Teresa’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widen at the sight of James. She lowered her gun.

He’d been gone for months after he left her in Phoenix. And he hadn’t returned any messages she had Pote try to get to him. 

“James....” she paused. “What are you doing sneaking around like that?! I could’ve killed you!”

“Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What are you doing here? Are you following me?”

“I been trying to find you. I needed to warn you.”

“Warn me? Warn me about what?”

“You’re in danger, you need to get to safety. They’re coming for you.”

“Who is coming? I don’t understand!” 

James unable to fully explain, runs his hand over his mouth. 

“Come on, let’s get you back to the city and some cell reception.” 

Teresa moves in his direction and he guides her further into the woods with his hand on the small of her back. 

She feels a tingle at the touch of his hand on her. She is at a loss for words but has so many questions for his unexpected appearance in her life. He broke her heart as much so as she is sure she broke his with how they left things. But too much was happening and she couldn’t bring herself to question him further. 

The sky darkened as they move further away from the road. 

“James, where are we going? Please tell me what’s going on?”

James sighs. He knew he would have to explain everything eventually. 

Teresa finally stops and takes a breath and slowly asks James one more time before anything else goes on. 

“Where have you been?”

“I told you. You’re in danger. I’m trying to protect you. Someone is after you, you must hide and Pote needs to come get you.”

“From who?!”

As James was about to finally answer her questions, a shot is fired in their direction. 

“Get down!” James says as he throws himself on top of her. 

“Go run that way!” He points as they both get off the ground. 

“What about you?” Teresa says worryingly. 

“I’ll be fine, here take your gun!”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

Another shot is fired and they run. They find a cave opening and lean up against it to catch their breath.

“I’ll be fine. But I need you to go. You’ll be safer without me. Trust me.”

Those last two words cut Teresa deep. Trust me. Something that cost her last time. She knew she needed to trust James. He was right. She should. After all they’d been through. They kept each other’s gaze for a few seconds before Teresa stepped toward him and kissed him. James kissed her back as he ran his hand down her neck. 

“Run that way. I’ll be right behind you.” James whispered as he picked up a large branch. 

Teresa looked at him one last time and gave him one last kiss. She ran. 

As she ran as fast as she could through the forest another shot was fired in the distance. She stopped and turned around. He was no where to be seen. 

“James?!”

As she turned back around to keep running a large hand grabbed her and covered her mouth. She tried to scream and fight but whoever it was restraining her was too big and strong. He threw her to the ground and punched her. Teresa laid on the ground and moaned. The man turned her over and zipped tied her hands behind her back. 

—-

Teresa was being walked into a dark building down a hall with stone walls. The man held her arm tight as he guided her to a room. As he opened the door and moved her in, he pulled up a chair and sat her down. He zipped tied her ankles to the legs of the chair and made sure her wrists were still secured behind the chair. 

She knew there was no use in struggling. After all this wasn’t her first time being a hostage. 

The man brought in another chair and sat it a few feet away from her. He then left and shut the door behind him. 

Teresa looked around. There was nothing she could do but wait to see who would come in. 

—-

What felt like after hours had passed, the door finally opened. In walks Devon Finch. 

“Hello Miss Mendoza. Glad to finally see you again.”

Teresa staring straight at him not to show any fear as he pulled out a gun from behind his back and sat down in the chair in front of her. 

“What do you want Devon?”

“Straight to business as usual. I see nothing has changed. Except one thing has changed.”

Teresa not sure what was coming next, does not say a word. 

“You see, my sources tell me that after Castel Fieto was killed, you ended your ties to the Colombians.” 

“I only do business with those I know. The Colombians were unstable after Castel was gone. I could not take that risk with my business. They do not have stable supply.”

“Of course I could understand that. However, in case you didn’t know, that affects me.” 

Teresa looks on at Devon and his gun as she waits for him to further explain this connection. 

“My business depends on the success of the Colombians. And without your business, you are the competition. My business then is to take out the competition if they are no longer beneficial.”

“My loyalty is now to my new supplier. As I said, I cannot take unnecessary risks with my business. Their new boss is not the kind of people I do business with. They kill their own family.”

“Of course Miss Mendoza. But I think the incentive for switching your supplier back would be another risk you don’t want to take.”

“I told you, I’m not doing business with the Colombians.”

Devon scoffs and then gets up out of his chair. He opens the door of the room. The man walks in someone with a dark bag over his head and sits him down. His hands too are zip tied behind him and then his ankles. 

The man leaves and shuts the door behind him. 

Teresa confused at what is going on asks “who is this?”

Devon walks over to the chair and lifts the dark bag off the man’s head. It’s James. 

Teresa gasps and they look at each other in shock. 

“Now Miss Mendoza, how about we open the conversation once again about who your supplier is?” Devon says as he raises his gun to James’ head. 

Teresa does not speak a word and stares straight at Devon. Her heart is racing. She cannot be the reason James dies in front of her eyes. 

“I know your business is important to you. But what I’ve learned from you over time is that some things are more important than that. Isn’t that right James?” James stays silent. 

“Fine.” Teresa says. “But you have to let him go.”

“Make the call, then we can talk.” Devon says as he pulls out his phone from his pocket, gun still in his right hand pointed at James. 

“I need you to guarantee he will go free.”

“Teresa don’t do this.” James finally says. 

“No your life is not worth this.” Teresa insists. 

“Oh but it is.” Devon chuckles. Teresa looks up to Devon in confusion. “You see, this piece of shit gave himself up to us just so you can have what you have. So apparently his life is worth everything you have.”

“James, what is he talking about?”

“Something else you get to tell her now James. This must be something that happens every time we get together.”

James takes a breath. “Tell her the about the deal.” Devon orders him as he points the gun closer to his head. 

“Devon made threats against you and your business. He promised you’d be safe as long as you were useful to him and I surrendered myself. So I did that.”

“And therefore, our next step is for you to end your ties to your current supplier.” Devon said. “Oh and that’s right, you violated that deal by escaping your compound to warn her.” He reminds James. 

Teresa looks on scared with what is going to happen next. 

“Fine. But let him go.”

Devon nods then holds the ringing phone up to her ear as Teresa waits for someone to answer the phone. 

“Si?” The voice on the other line answers. 

Teresa quickly tells the man in Spanish that she no longer can work with them and thanks them for their business.”

Devon then quickly hangs up the phone. 

“Very good.” 

“You can release us now.” Teresa demands. 

“Who said anything about we?” Teresa’s eyes widen and Devon quickly moves toward her and ties a gag over her mouth and holds the gun to her head. Teresa tries to scream. 

“What are you doing?!” James yells as Teresa struggles. 

“Mr. Valdez, she said she wanted you to go free. She said nothing regarding her own safety. And you still need to pay for what you did by breaking our deal.”

“What do you want? I’ll give you anything. I’ll do whatever you want!”

Devon scoffs. “You have nothing left to give.”

James watches tears run down Teresa’s face in fear knowing there is nothing he can say or do to stop Devon from hurting Teresa. 

“Killing her will get her what she deserves for turning her back on her alliance with the Colombians and punish YOU for the mistake you made in warning her.”

“If you have to kill someone, kill me!” James shouted. 

Teresa tries to scream through her gag but Devon continues to hold the gun to her head. 

“Mr. Valdez, killing her will kill you.”

As James closes his eyes and looks down to not watch the woman he loves, the woman risked his life for die before his eyes a shot goes off. 

James slowly opens his eyes a couple seconds later and brings his head up. He looks forward and sees Devon dead on the floor with a bullet to his head. 

Teresa still heavily breathing, gagged and bound to the chair looks up in front of her then around. They both look at each other with tears in their eyes. They turn toward the door way with Pote and Javier holding guns. 

Pote and Javier had tracked Teresa down and broke into the compound and took out all of Devon’s guards and made it to the room just in time. 

Teresa finally lets all her breaths out and silently cries. Pote goes over to her and takes the gag out of her mouth and cuts her zip ties. Javier frees James. 

As they both are freed and get out of their chairs, James and Teresa hug in relief. 

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” James whispers as he strokes her hair and holds her to his chest. Tears continue to run down her face as she holds onto him tight. 

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Pote says as he gets out of the way so they can leave the room. 

As they all walk silently and solemnly to the waiting car, James stops. 

Teresa takes James’ hand and pulls him softly toward her. 

“Please come back with us. It’s all over.”

James nods and gets into the backseat of the car with Teresa and Pote drives them back toward New Orleans.


End file.
